Daniel Benjamin Quotes

We can no longer afford the war in Iraq. Our financial costs have already passed a third of a trillion dollars; the lifetime costs for this war, in both human and economic terms, will be borne by Americans for generations to come.

Today we're faced with over 500 casualties, a cost of over $200 billion. And it could rise - the casualties could go into thousands and the cost could go over half a trillion - if we stay there for years.

… war is a matter not so much of arms as of money

The repose of nations cannot be secure without arms, armies cannot be maintained without pay, nor can the pay be produced without taxes

I don't want to revisit history or try to re-interpret it, you know, but starting from where we are now, given the experience that we've had in the last, you know, since 2001, which has been an utter disaster, I don't think it's benefited us. Half of our discretionary budget, right, it's like 54% of our discretionary budget right now is being spent on the military. This is not working.

...The war (WWI) cost your Uncle Sam $52 billion. $39 billion was expended in the actual war period. This expenditure yielded $16 billion in profits.

Don't forget what I discovered that over ninety percent of all national deficits from 1921 to 1939 were caused by payments for past, present, and future wars.

I am not disputing the need for this money. What I am disputing and calling attention to is the fact that we are taking the tab for defense in our time against terrorists in the Middle East and elsewhere and shoving this tab off onto our children.

We have sent our troops to war without paying for it. Now, we are bringing them home without saying how we are paying for it.

There's a financial cost, but the only costs that are ever real are the costs of our soldiers.

The sinews of war are infinite money.

It is time we had a defense budget that lives within its means, accounts for what is truly required in Iraq and provides the best possible support for all our troops.

Health care costs are eating the Defense Department alive.

Looking at the high cost of occupation in Iraq and the needs we have in this country, would it not have been better to have smaller tax cuts in order to keep down the deficits.

For the first time in history, we declared war without financing it. Americans have not been asked to pay for it through taxes.

... when you have a draft you're more likely to go to war than if you have to pay for a volunteer army. A draft lowers the cost for the wealthy because the people who are important don't have their children going off and they're also not paying as much in taxes.

Americans know that war must be paid for and it is they who must pay for it.

War costs money. That means taxes and bonds and bonds and taxes. It means cutting luxuries and other non essentials.

We have adopted a war ready—made, and taken upon ourselves its prosecution to the end. We are to furnish the bodies to fill trenches and the cash to defray its enormous expense.

Our guns are not called upon to hurl huge projectiles each one of which costs as much as the construction of a happy home.

The armed beggary of the nation.

The cost of war is hard to count.

Wars cost money.

To suppose this expensive War can be carried on without joint and strenuous efforts is beneath the wisdom of those who are called to the high Offices of Legislation.

I am firmly against the kind of logrolling which would subject our defense program to narrowly sectional or selfish pulling or hauling. But I am growing pretty hot under the collar about the way my state of West Virginia is being shortchanged by the Army, Navy and Air Force.